Player Profile: Breaking Down Eli Stowers’ Game Ahead of the NFL Draft – Sports Illustrated

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Former Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers is about to take the next step in his football career. Stowers is ranked as one of the top tight ends in this year’s NFL draft class and is certain to get drafted at some point between Thursday night and Saturday afternoon.
The former Commodore played two seasons at Vanderbilt after starting his career at Texas A&M as a quarterback before transferring to New Mexico State and making the transition to tight end after injuries early in his collegiate career compromised his abilities to play the quarterback position. But in his two seasons in Nashville, Stowers was a threat to opposing defenses and played a prominent role in Vanderbilt’s passing game.
So what exactly does Stowers bring to the table and what kind of NFL offense would he thrive in in the NFL?
Eli Stowers’ strength as a tight end is what he brings to an offensive passing game. In his second season at Vanderbilt, Stowers led the team in receptions with 62 catches for 769 yards and four touchdowns. In his first season as a Commodore, Stowers led the team in receptions and receiving yards with 49 catches for 638 yards and five touchdowns.
The numbers he put up won him the 2025 John Mackey Award and the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy. Additionally, he was named First Team All-SEC by SEC coaches and numerous outlets.
As a tight end, Stowers is more of a receiving tight end. The biggest criticism about Stowers is his blocking ability due to his size compared to defensive lineman. While his blocking ability is not like others in his position group in this draft class, Stowers is as potent of a pass catcher that anyone will find among college tight ends.
As a receiver, Stowers has no problem running various kinds of routes. His explosiveness helps him get down the field and catch passes while his ability to break tackles helps him to rack up yards after the catch, turning short gains into significant ones. Stowers also acts as a safety valve to the quarterback. From a catching standpoint itself, Stowers' hands are very reliable as well.
Stowers will need to continue to develop as a blocking tight end, which means that the best fit for him will be being in a system that involves tight ends as a pass catcher into their offensive game plans. As a result, Stowers’ potential would best be unlocked when surrounded with a coaching staff that is also patient with him in how he develops blocking-wise.
Another thing teams are getting with Stowers is an incredible athlete at the tight end position. At the NFL combine in February, Stowers set a NFL Combine record with a broad jump of 11-foot-3. On the vertical jump, Stowers set another combine record with a 45 ½-inch vertical. In terms of his speed, Stowers’ 40-yard dash time was 4.51 seconds.
His overall size measurables at the combine were 6-foot-3 ¾ inches in height and weighed 239 pounds. His wingspan was 79 ¾ inches, his hand measurement was 9 ¾ inches and his arm size was 32 ⅝ inches. 
Those measurements are not necessarily eye-popping, but those are not supposed to be his strength anyways. His strength is what he offers to an offense in the passing game and his athleticism that comes with it. In a way, Stowers will essentially give an NFL offense an additional wide receiver on the field while he simultaneously continues his development as a blocker.
In terms of the type of player and person a team will get with Stowers off the field, the team that takes a chance on him will get someone that is a leader and a great locker room guy. At Vanderbilt, head coach Clark Lea referred to Stowers as the team’s “spiritual leader.” Stowers is known for his Christian faith and did a nice job of rallying his teammates at Vanderbilt as he helped lead the Commodores to a historic 10-3 season.
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Graham Baakko is a writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI, primarily covering football, basketball and baseball. Graham is a recent graduate from the University of Alabama, where he wrote for The Crimson White, WVUA-FM, WVUA 23 as he covered a variety of Crimson Tide sports. He also covered South Carolina athletics as a sportswriting intern for GamecockCentral.
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